Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Mayor Walker appoints Zagone Fire Chief

Bossier City Mayor Lorenz "Lo" Walker today announced his appointment of Brad Zagone to the position of Bossier City Fire Chief. Mayor Walker made his announcement during a news conference this morning at Bossier City Hall.

Chief Zagone, 38, is a veteran of the Bossier City Fire Department of more than 16 years. He joined the department and got his start on the fire line in August of 1994 and has most recently served as a Fire Prevention Officer with the BCFD's Fire Prevention Bureau at the rank of Captain. In that capacity Chief Zagone's duties included fire investigating, fire inspections and fire safety public education. He is also a certified member of the BCFD Bomb Squad. Chief Zagone holds a number of certifications including Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic, Fire Inspector I and II, Fire Fighter I and II, Fire Service Instructor I as well as a number of fire and explosives investigation specialties.

During his career with BCFD Chief Zagone has received numerous awards and citations including Administrative Fire Officer of the Year, Academic Achievement Award, Excellence Service Award, Meritorious Unit Citation Award, Bomb Technician Award, LSU AgCenter Certificate of Service Award and Unit Citation Award.

Chief Zagone is a 1990 graduate of Airline High School and earned an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration degree in 2007 from Bossier Parish Community College.

Chief Zagone replaces Sammy Halphen who retired at the end of 2010 and becomes the Bossier City Fire Department's seventh Fire Chief. His appointment is effective today, March 1, 2011 and is contingent on his subsequent passing of the Fire Chief Civil Service test which will be administered on March 29, 2011.

it is great to see that the bloggers keep repeating themselves - but boys dont you know - we are the fastest growing parish with the most stable economy in the arklatex - why are people falling over themselves to get to bossier - oh - it cant possibly be the leadership - has to be the complete random facts of low taxes, good schools, great economic environment, progressive goverment, good law enforcement - all pure happenstance - ha - i hope the good ole boys stay in power another 20 years - they are doing a great job

To the idiot at 8:44, you really have no idea what your talking about. Are you serious the leadership and their progressiveness is the reason for the growth are you kidding. You need a history lesson. But not yet.

Guess that progressiveness was the cause of layoffs in Bossier city. Oh I forgot it was due to greedy fire and police and not the capital investments of the leadership.

What is amazing to me is all the government jobs that pay these huge salaries, iron clad health benefits, and retirement packages, generally with an act of God required to get fired hiding behind the unions regardless of performance. In the real world you have to have the brains, balls, and creative initiative to be successful in business or have dedicated yourself to a great education. On the other hand we have these "public service" jobs where someone can have a high school diploma or associates degree and make over 100K. And if you are really good you can have a secretary and pay her six figures as well.

And we wonder why the states have all these financial troubles?

and pardon me for not being sympathetic to the idea these guys "risk their lives" everyday for the community. We certainly didn't pay the WWII veterans or vietnam vets for their service. These guys know the risk and generally enjoy the power, and I was under the impression they were not in it for the money anyway. and by the way there are plenty of guys lined up behind them that would take these jobs and be just as qualified for a fraction of the pay in these economic times.

I have to say that I agree with the last poster - I believe in bossier - but firemen and police do a job and get paid handsomely for the effort required - we could do it cheaper and we could do with half the number of firemen we have today - go bossier - but let's get ahead of wisconsin's problems and get lean before we have to get real lean because of the outrageous pension contributions the city is forced to pay with no input

Business as usual continues as Bossier Citys' illustrious mayor's choice for the new fire chief was actually decided on before Chief Halphen announced his retirement. The choice was a fellow mason and social buddy that is a part of that inner circle of a chosen few known as "The Good Ole Boys" I reiterate on "few"! Not to short change Zagone, probably a great guy and he does have 16 years with the BCFD opposed to Deputy Chief Brice's 31 years experience. The innocent and naive thoughts that there was even a remote chance that Seniority, Experience, Loyalty, Rank-in-file advancement or Worthy by next in line would factor into the decision is just as farfetched.The actual portrayal of the quest to evaluate and make a fair assessment of the candidates vying for the esteemed Chief of the Fire Dept. potentially was a Faux Pas,a social mistake and a waste of the tax payers time and money. The system is broken when one person can control or manipulate the outcome or future fate of an entire City and is just plain ludicrus!!The citizens of Bossier City should have the voice and deciding vote as to who they decide after careful assessments of qualifications and character should run their City's Fire Dept., not based on a mere one man's decision.Of course my opinion will not change how things are done in Bossier City, but who knows the right to have rights of the citizens of Bossier is a future possibility.The "Good Ole Boys" have underestimated the power and intelligence of, "We The People of Bossier City" and the next few elections will prove to be an eye opener wake up call and will dismantle, "The Good Ole Boys" Regime! We the people are going to take our great city back, to when RESPECT, HONOR and INTEGERTY were the foundation of principles we lived and worked by. Part of what makes our city so great is the people and credit to the deserving and unsung Hero's such as our Truancy Officer Richey Jackson that achieved the highest honor of excellence for his program that influenced and changed thousands of young peoples' lives and gave them new positive directions to be our future successful adults. This humble Award was for the Best Truancy Program in the WORLD, yes the WORLD! Richey has been a silent but powerful fiqure in the continued Success of our Educational System. The true and real Bossierite leaders of our great city don't need a ticker tate parade or an appreciation banquet, they just want our support when they walk that extra mile for us, can you even imagine the possibilities and achievements of a candidate that has Bossier City's interest ahead of their own?? We have a chance to make a difference as early as April 2, where one of the candidates' family has called Bossier City home since the early 1900's and were born and raised where the Louisiana Boardwalk is today and he has over 18 YEARS of hands on experience in the actual Office of City Marshal, not the police dept., not the Mayors office but the actual City Marshals Office which clearly presents him as the MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE as well as the mot knowledgeable of the Department and it just so happens, He is one of the greatest Guy you will ever meet! Together We can change business as usual, just simply BELIEVE!

March 2, 12:57Well said, well said. It is time we took back our parish from the "good ol' boys". The northern part of our state is just as corrupt as the southern part. We have only ourselves to blame. As for me, I will be voting on new blood in April and in October.

$435 per week in take-home pay to go into a burning building or do a job that requires a bullet-proof vest is hardly a handsom salary....Let's see, that's about $10/hr to take home. Get a clue...If you think you can find quality, dedicated, physically fit men and women who can make life-altering decisions under the circumstances that these men and women do and for less money, you are living in a fantasy world.

Anon @ 8:44, I agree with Anon @ 10:14, you are an idiot. Not only were those in charge, that you would so blindly follow, are responsible for layoffs and cutbacks, they are responsible for the fiasco called the Cyber Innovation Center and spending multi-millions of dollars for parking garage for a private shopping venue that has been foreclosed upon.

And to Anon @ 8:49, You too are an idiot. The mayor took notice? Hell, he couldn't even pronounce Zagone's name correctly during the announcement. He was told my the city attorney, who really runs Bossier City, who to pick and the reason is Zagone, McWilliams, and all the other cronies and handpicked puppets all wear a funny looking red colored fez and attend the same shrine.

Who is blaming anything on the fireman?? I must have missed that, Bossier City loves their firefighters! The issues I read were directed to City Hall and Hall not the innocent firefighters!! They are worthy of my respect!

What do you have against the Masons and or Shriners? If he is a Mason and or a Shriner does that mean he cannot do the job? Does that mean he did not deserve the job? If a man is a Mason and or a Shriner should not have anything to do with at all. I don't hear anyone asking what church anyone goes to.

There is Honor in the Mason Lodge and judge not less ye be judged! I know this Because the most honorable and God fearing men I've ever known were Masons! And I am old!! ha-ha I love the fire dept and everything Good about Bossier City!There are so many positive good things about Bossier and nothing we can't fix with positive attitudes!! I do think the Deputy Chief with 31 years of loyal service should have been an automatic fair and right choice for Chief, with the highest regard for Zagone and nothing personal, it would have been plain and simply, The right thing to do! OH WELL! It would have been even better had the Mayor known the name of his Appointed choice. If my comment ends this blog, since it's yesterdays news, I would like to extend my appreciation for representation of my view!

Jimmy Hall made the decision to hire McWilliams and Zagone. Like every decision that comes from City Hall, Jimmy Hall makes the decision and others carry it out. Jimmy Hall is the one who everyone is referring to as the puppet master. He is the main one who needs to go. He nor his ego will not be missed.

I respect your view on the how honorable Masons are. Now here's my view about the honor of Mason: BULLSHIT! It's not an honorable organization. They screw innocent people over and take the side of a brother Mason no matter what. That's part of the oath.Honor comes when one does what is right, not because a person went through the rite.

While you may think the honor of the Masons is Bullshit, and it is your right as an American to think so. But I have seen a Mason not put a "brother" first just because he was a Mason, and I have also seen the good that they do. I have seen first hand the way they come together, to be there for a family when a brother Mason unexpectedly dies at an early age. Its not all about the politics and screwing people over, so while you may think it is BULLSHIT, there are many people that don't. I for one will be forever greatful to the Masons and the Shriners, even though I am not a Mason or a Shriner.

The problem is not with all the Masons. It is that every city department head in the Jester group of the Masons. They have control over each of them due to the "interesting activities" they all engage in. I am a Mason and have heard stories about the Jester's trips to Toledo Bend and the "hunting camps". It is sickening and I would not want any part of it.

I've heard about the hunting trips and the trips to Toldeo Bend. I also heard that pictures are taken to hold each other in check, and if the wives of these "honest" men ever found out, divorce attorneys would be raking in the bucks, and the public would be sickened.

Wow, I have been reading the comments about the Masons and the Shriners for a few days now and I will again say Wow. It must nice for all of the perfect people around to be able to cast so many stones at the Masons and the Shriners. My friend was once married to a Mason and yes he was even a Shriner and he even went on one or two of those trips someone commented about. I find it interesting that you say you "heard this and that" the same could be said about anything, about every church in town, every branch of city government, and every office inside of that city government. There is always mud to sling, and there is always someone that is not going to agree or like something that someone else does or doesn't do. And whether you agree with the Masons and the Shrine or not, they do Good things, they stand besides their brother Masons when they sick and on their deathbed and they are their for the families when they are left behind. I will forever be grateful to the men that stood beside my friend when her husband was dying of cancer, so not everyone thinks the Masons/Shriners are bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just because a man is a Mason and or a Shriner does make him a bad person, does not mean he is not qualified to do a job, does not mean he did not deserve that job. Judging someone on the basis that they are a Mason and a Shriner? Are we going to start judging people by what religion they are too?

Rules of the road:1. No personal attacks or insults.2. No accustory statements about wrongdoing or criminal acts against anyone.3. Say all you want about the pros and cons concerning the candidates and the issues, or the general subject of the blog post, just follow Rule #1 and Rule #2.

Wow Jim, thanks for the post and your site, very informative. Your interest and commitment to LA politics is amazing and inspiring; can you clone yourself 49 times and spread it around?

...good lord - you are as bad as the times...

smells like donkey in here

I enjoy reading your posts.

why don't you add this to your comments - your blog sucks

I do not know how I stumbled upon your pitiful blog, but apparently you do not know anything about

Great Blog!

Thanks, Jim, for providing a good forum for discussing the candidates.

Love your blog. It makes my day!!!

It's people like you, Jim, that ruin our system.

The only shortcomings of this blog is that more people may not be reading it.

I just looked at the posts. comical. Ada's drunk, corrupt cops caught on tape, some crazy lady making "art" about it (I looked at her "art" and I now know why they have starving artists shows), a Benton hillbilly running a blog about it.Come on Hollywood, this is a great B movie.

I hope you realize that very few people actually read your little blog - but keep on writing if it makes you feel important.